Matbukha Recipe. Shakshuka and All Variations
Matbukha
Matbukha. Our super famous Moroccan cooked tomato salad. We Moroccan Jews couldn’t possibly live without this dish, and it seems we passed on the recipe to Jews around the world. It makes a great filling for tiny pies and can be served as an hors d’oeuvre, but it is best served on its own with good bread. Don’t hesitate to double the recipe, as it keeps very well for a good two weeks. Also, don’t be alarmed by the amount of oil used, and do not try to reduce it: it gets discarded at serving time.
Matbukha Made Simple
I have found a less messy, time-consuming alternative to broiling or frying peppers. I roast them at a high temperature, rubbed with a little olive oil. First, I wash them thoroughly, because rinsing them after they are cooked lessens their luster and lovely smoky flavor. It is also important to get rid of all the seeds before roasting. The stems and seeds will come out and can be discarded. In order to peel the peppers easily, put them in a brown paper or plastic bag for a few minutes as soon as they come out of the oven, and their skins will come right off.
Make the full batch of Matbukha!
You might even want to make extra and store in the freezer for later use. It freezes beautifully.
Matbukha’s Cousin: Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a very close cousin of matbukha: expat food at its best! This is why I am grouping both recipes in one post
It’s a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of fresh tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. It is overlaid with Sephardi flavors. The dish has become so popular you can find it in virtually every casual restaurant, at any time of the day. Umami and ethnic flavors at their best! So pretty and so fragrant. Watch them all mop their sauce with pita or crusty bread! Saucy and messy deliciousness. It’s in my Whole Foods Cookbook!
Shakshuka has been around forever!
Who knows why it has recently become so popular all over the world? Who knows what brings modest native dishes into the limelight? It is true that we are exploring more with our foods and we are less shy with our flavors. We grew up eating it regularly. Although the most common version is dominated by tomatoes, you can make it in many more exciting ways, including without any tomatoes at all. All green, even all white! Wow, who knew? Oh yeah, can I interest you in my amazing Mushroom Eggplant Shakshuka too?
You want eggs with creamy to runny texture.
So make sure they go in toward the end of cooking, or you will end up with an uninspired hard-boiled texture.
Scroll down for all Shakshuka Variations!
Start with the basic recipe, then take it places, for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner!
Ingredients
Matbukha
Makes about 3 1⁄2 cups.
- 1 whole head garlic
- 2 red bell peppers, washed and seeded
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 big (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, liquid and all (don’t substitute crushed, as it won’t have enough texture)
- 1⁄2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Matbukha
Preheat the oven to 400*F. Slice about 1⁄4-inch off the pointed end of the head of garlic, leaving the cloves exposed. Drizzle the olive oil onto the garlic and the peppers, place them on a cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and the peppers are charred (the peppers might be ready a few minutes before the garlic). Press the cloves out of their skins while still warm, and mash with a fork. Peel the peppers and cut them into thin strips.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the tomatoes, oil and paprika to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the roasted garlic and peppers, and cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. All of the water should evaporate, and the oil will resurface. (If you neglect this step, you will not get the desired look and texture but a glorified tomato sauce). Add the fresh pressed garlic and the salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use a slotted spoon so as to always leave the oil behind in the jar.
Shakshuka
Makes 4 main course servings
Shakshuka ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large beefsteak tomatoes, or 12 plum tomatoes, diced small (in a pinch, use a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and1 small can of tomato paste)
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, minced
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2-3 tablespoons ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 eggs
Shakshuka Instructions
Heat the oil in a large skillet with sides.
Add the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, jalapenos and spices, and cook covered on a gentle flame for about 20 minutes.
Make a little well in the mixture, and with the space you just made, put in one egg. Repeat with all other eggs. Cover again and cook a few more more minutes, until they are barely set.
Divide the Shakshuka among 4 plates, and be sure to use up all the sauce. Serve hot, alone or with a good whole-grain bread, or on a bed of cooked (canned OK) white beans.
Shakshuka Variations
You can jazz up your Shakshuka, as I do, in many exciting and delicious ways:
- Play with your seasonings. Curry, Herbes de Provence, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil. Short selection please.
- Throw in some chopped parsley, cilantro, dill, etc....
- Throw in some capers and olives. In this case skip the salt
- Make a green Shakshuka:
Omit the tomatoes, or use just a couple, and use chopped spinach, Swiss chard or kale leaves. Frozen OK. Don't be shy, pile it on. Here you need to replace the moisture that tomatoes naturally provide in regular shakshuka. Use a little water or milk; coconut milk is wonderful here and will make a wonderfully creamy mixture. - Make a dairy Shakshuka, by adding cubed feta or shredded cheddar. In this case omit the salt.
- How about a white Shakshuka? white cabbage and potatoes, and a ricotta cream sauce? Amazing!
- You want even MORE poetic license? Try my amazing Mushroom Eggplant Shakshuka!
Hi There
i would like to ask with plate/container was on photo ?
the head of page
is that disposble ?
Thanks Erez
Erez I am not sure I fully understand your question. the plate is (real) white china.